Control apparatus for compressors



- E. AQLEE.

CONTROL APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1921.

'1 ,4 1 0,485 Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

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En A4 CONTROL APPARATUS FOR COMFRESSORS. APPLICATION FILED MAR.12, 1921.

1,410,485. Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

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ERNEST A. LEE, or LORAI'N, OHIO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 1922..

Application filed March 12, 1921. Serial No. 451,200.

To all whom 2'2. may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST A. LEE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Lorain, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Control Apparatus for. Compressors, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to gas compressors and particularly to apparatus for automatically controlling the operation'of such compressors, and while not limited thereto, has particular reference to the control of turbine driven compressors used in by-product coke or gas plants.

In by-product coke or gas plants the surplus gas, obtained from the dry distillation of coal, is handled by a centrifugal compressor to boostthe pressure sufiiciently to carry the gas through the -mains to consumers.

In order to take care of the fluctuations in the volume of production or consumption, a constant pressure tank or gas holder is provided, which is suitably connected by mainsso as to supply gas back to theovens for heating purposes, and also to supply surplus to the gas compressor which will give it sufficient pressure to carry it to consumers. h

A'suitable gate valve is connected in the main leading to the compressor and auto matically operated by the gas volume in the ,gas holder so that'the valve is opened or "closed as the gas volume is increased or decreased in the holder. In this waythe volume of gas admitted to the compressor is varied as the production of gas increases or diminishes.

WVith the above variation in volume of gas supplied to the compressor, it is necessary to govern the speed of the compressor, since if the automatic gate valve in the main to the compressor should fail to close when the gas supply was: diminished, the compressor would exhaust the gas from the system and possibly collapse the gas holder. A. governor is therefore provided operable by the gas pressure in the main leading from the gas holder to the compressor for regulat ing the speed of the compressor.

The above constructionhas thedisadvantage of driving the compressor at its highest speed when there is a large volume of gas, regardless of the quantity being used by the consumers, and therefore if the quantity of gas being used is diminished, a high pressure ls'built up at the compressor which will rise above the point at which the compressor is designed to work. This will cause the compressor to churn or slip, allowing abnormal pressure to be carried back to the low pressure supply main, and causing the governor connected to the low pressure supply main to become inoperative.

My invention has for its main object to eliminate the above disadvantage by applying a governor to the discharge or high pressure main leading from the compressor that will operate to control the speed of the compressor independent of the governor on the low pressure supply main, thus giving double regulation of the compressor speed and assuring against the exhausting of gas from the system during a low volume or" gas supply and the building up of a high pressure during a high volume supply when the volumebeing'used from the compressor by consumers is lessened. In the accompanying drawings illustratingmy invention; Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of a gas holder and compressor with the mains connecting them.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation showing the compressor and the governors controlling the same.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation showing the operating lever connections for the high pressure governor.

.Referring particularly to the drawings, the numeral 2 designates the gas holder as a whole which has an inner sealed bell 3 adapted to be raised and lowered as the volume of gas increases or diminishes. A low pressure supply main 4 leads from the holder'2 to the inlet of the turbine driven compressor 5 and an automatic valve 6 is connected bya flexible connection 6 to the bell of the holder 2 so as to be operated as the hell 3 is raised or lowered by the increase or decrease of the, gas supply.

The compressor 5 is provided with an outlet main 7 which leads to consumers at any desired point.

A throttle valve 8 is provided for regulating the speed of theturbine driven compressor5 and a governor 9 is provided for hctuating the throttle valve 8.

Governor 9 is of the usual float type and comprises a tank 10 adapted to be partially filled with water or other fluid and having an inverted bell 12 sealed in the iiuid. A branch pipe 13 is connected with thelow pressure supply main 4 and extends through the tank 10 and under the bell 12 so that a variation in the gas pressure within the line 4 will be communicated to the bell 12 and raise or lower the same according to whether the pressure is increased or decreased.

The bell 12 is provided with. a stem 15 which extends upwardly through the tank 10 and is pivotally connected to a lever 16 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends for rockin movement on a standard 17 on the top oi the tank 10. The lever 16 is provided with a counterweight 18 adjacent its one end, such weight being adjustable to suit different pressures desired to be maintained in the main i. The other end of lever 16 is provided with a U-shaped slot or clevis in which is pivotally mounted a ring or sleeve 19 and is connected to a second lever 20 by means of a shouldered pin 21 passing through the sleeve 19 and pivoted at its upper end to one end of the lever 20. Lever 20 is pivoted intermediate its ends to a support 22 and has its other end pivotally connected to a rod 23 which operates the throttle valve 8. i

From the above it will be seen that any variation of gas pressure in the low pressure gas supply main 4; will be com1nunicated to the governor 9 and cause the bell 12 to raise or lower according to whether the gas pressure is increased or decreased, and the movement of the bell 12 will be communicatedthrough the levers 16, 20, and rod '23, to the throttle valve 8, thereby actuating said valve to increase or decrease the speed of the compressor 5.

A second governor 25 similar in construction to the governor 9 is provided for controlling the speed of the compressor according to the pressure of gas in the high pressure main 7. and comprises a tank 26 partially filled with a suitable heavy liquid such as mercury and having an inverted bell 27 within the tank with its lower open end sealed in the liquid, A suitable branch pipe 28 leads from the high pressure main 7 upwardly through the tank 26 and under the bell 27, and an increase or decrease of pressure within the main 7 will accordinglypivotally secured to lever20. Rod 32 is screw threaded over a portion of its length and has nuts 33 threaded thereon, which form an adjustable stop and are adapted to be so adjusted that levers 16 and 20 can move throughout their entire swing, as long 'as' pressure in the high pressure line 7 and is similar to the governor 9. An increase or decrease of gas pressure in the main 7 and pipe 28 will raise or lower the hell 2? and accordingly raise or lower the stem 29. It the hell 27 and stem '29 be raised the socket 31 will engage the nuts 33 on the rod and accordingly rock lever 20, which will actuate the rod 23 and operate the throttle valve 8 to lower the speed of the compressor. However, if the hell be lowered due to a decrease in gas pressure within the main 7 and pipe 28, the operation will be reversed and the compressor speeded up. 7 g

It will therefore be apparent that l have not only providedmeaus for controlling the speed of the compressor in accordance with the pressure oi the gas supplied to the compressor, but I have also provided an automatic governor operable bythe pressure of the gas in the high pressure main leading from the compressor-to consumers for regulating the speed oi the compressor, thereby preventing any possibility of over pressure. Vi hile I have shown but one embodiment of my invention, it will be expressly'understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto since various changes in design, constructionand combination oi? parts maybe made withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims. Iclaim:- j V 1. The combination with a "gas holder, a low pressure supply main leading from said holder, a compressor connected with said low pressure main, and a high pres sure main leading from said compressor. of meanstorcontrolling'the operation of said compressor, and means operable by the gas pressure insaid low pressure supply main and said high pressure main for actuating said controlling means. V

2. The combination with a gas holder, a low pressure supply main leading from said holder, a compressor connected with said low pressure main, and a high pressure main leading from said compressor, of means for controlling the operation of said compressor, means operable by the gas pressure in said low pressure supply main for operating said controlling means, and means operable by the gas pressure in said high pressure main leading from said compressor for operating said controlling means, said two last means being operable independent of each other.

3. The combination with a gas holder, a low pressure supply main leading from said holder, a turbine driven gas compressor connected to said low pressure main, and a high pressure main leading from said compressor, of a throttle valve for controlling the operation of said compressor, a governor operable by the gas pressure in said lOW pressure supply main for actuating said throttle valve, and a second governor operable by the gas pressure in said high pressure main for actuating said throttle valve, said governors being adapted to operate independent of each other.

4. The combination With a gas holder, a low pressure supply main leading from said holder, a turbine driven gas compressor connected to said low pressure main, and a high pressure main leading from said compressor, of a throttle valve for controlhng the operation of said compressor, a governor op-' erable by the gas pressure in said low pressure supply main for actuating said throttle valve, a second governor operable by the gas pressure in said high pressure main for actuating said throttle valve, said governors comprising closed tank members having inverted liquid sealed bells therein, and lever mechanism connecting said bells with said throttle valve.

5. The combination with a gas holder, a low pressure supply main leading from said holder, a turbine driven gas compressor connected to said low pressure main, and a high pressure main leading from said compressor, of a throttle valve for controlling the operation of said compressor, a pair of governors for actuating said throttle valve, one of said governors being connected to and operable by the gas pressure in said lOW pressure supply main and the other of said governors being connected to and operable by the gas pressure in said high pressure main, each of said governors comprising a tank member, an inverted Water sealed bell Within said tank member, and counter- Weighted lever mechanism for connecting said bells With said throttle valve, said governors being adapted to operate independent of each other.

6. The combination with a gas holder, a 10W pressure supply main leading from said holder, a compressor connected with said low pressure main, and a high pressure main leading from said compressor, of means operable by the gas in said low pressure supply main and said high pressure main for controlling the operation of the compressor.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

' ERNEST A. LEE. 

